String sculpture assembly



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00 o aavaaooaa aoa aa an no United States Patent Ofice 2,757,459 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 STRING SCULPTURE ASSEMBLY Robert J. Walker, Berkeley, Calif. Application June 22, 1954, Serial No. 438,369

5 Claims. (Cl. 35-26) This invention relates to string sculpturing, and more particularly to a string sculpture assembly and method of string sculpturing for forming three dimensional designs.

Summarizing the invention, it comprises a plurallty of wall panels which are adapted to be secured together to form a trihedron, namely, a three dimensional corner formed by three intersecting planes, together with string adapted to be positioned at selected stations on the panels to form such design. Separate pieces of string are preferably employed; and for positioning the pieces of string on the panels, each of the panels is formed with a plurality of apertures through which the pieces of string can be woven in the form of any one of many types of artistic designs.

At least one of the pieces of string is preferably colored differently from the others, but more preferably each of the pieces of string is of a different color from the others, so that a striking effect may be obtained when the string sculpture design is made.

for making a permanent design, or it may be used for amusement purposes, for therapeutic treatment of certain mental illnesses, and also for entertainment of bed ridden individuals.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a plan view of one of the three like wall panels, which are adapted to be secured together to form a trihedron.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view illustrating three panels of Fig. l secured together, and three pieces of string positioned to extend between selected string positioning stations on the panels to form a typical three dimensional design illustrative of one of the many types of such designs that can be made.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the outside face of one of the panels of Fig. 2, taken in the direction indicated by arrow 3 in Fig. 2, and illustrating how the pieces of string are woven.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a different three dimensional design.

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating three coils of string supplied with the assembly.

The assembly comprises three individual substantially square, fiat wall panels 2, preferably made of wood painted black but which may be of any other suitable material, such as plastic, and of any other decorative color, or even uncolored. Each of the panels is formed with a plurality of apertures 3; the apertures being arranged in eq'ui-spaced horizontal and vertical rows R; and all adjacent apertures are equi-spaced, both in a horizontal and vertical direction. As a result, any group of a like number of apertures in two horizontal and two vertical rows will form a square; the rows of apertures being parallel to the respective side edges E of the panel.

Connecting means is provided along a pair of adjacent An assembly of the character related can be employed by the user side edges E of each panel for enabling the panels to be secured together to form the trihedron illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 to thus provide a so-called space corner. Preferably, the connecting means along adjacent side edges E is in the form of a conventional finger lap to provide detachable finger lapped joints when the panels are set up to form the trihedron.

The detachable character of the joints is desirable when the assembly is to be set up at various occasions for the string sculpturing as this admits thepanels to be packaged or stored flatwise when not in use. However, if a permanent design is to be made, the three panels may be adhesively secured together along their finger lapped joints. Also, the detachable character of the panels enables them to be conveniently packaged flatwise in the container in which they are originally packaged together with other parts of the assembly.

Three pieces of string S, S and S which are originally preferably packaged in coiled form as illustrated in Fig. 5, are provided with the assembly. Preferably, these pieces of string are made of elastic, rubber-like material so that they can be stretched longitudinally which facilitates weaving thereof in a tight design in the manner explained hereinafter. However, the string need not be made of the elastic material.

To create an enhanced aestheic effect when the pieces of string are sculptured on the panels, at least one of such pieces should be colored diiferently from the others; and preferably, each piece of string differs in color from each or" the other pieces of string. Thus, one piece of string S may be green, another piece of string S may be red, and the third piece of string S may be yellow. However, the pieces of string may be all of the same color but when woven on the panels, they will not create the same artistic effect as will varied colored pieces of string.

In setting up the assembly, one of panels 2 is utilized to provide a base B, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, and the other two panels are connected to each other in upright position and to base B to form side walls W. All adjacent panels are at right angles to each other, thus forming a trlhedron, the corner of which is indicated at C. Such corner provides a so-called space corner in which the three dimensional design can be woven.

Many dlfierent three dimensional designs may be woven through apertures 3 of the three walls, merely by selection of the groups of apertures in each wall through which the string may be woven. An instruction booklet illustrating various typical designs is preferably supplied with the originally packaged assembly for instructing the user how to make various typical designs. However, the user may work out designs of his own, as the number of different designs that can be made is large.

Fig. 2 illustrates one of such three dimensional designs. In making the design, one end of green string S is secured to an obstruction, such as a small paper clip 4 supplied with the originally packaged assembly; the opposite end of the string S being threaded through a needle which may be a blunt pointed darning needle also originally supplied with the packaged assembly. The string is threaded from the rear of the left hand upright panel appearing in Fig. 2 through one of the apertures therein, and through an aperture in the upright right hand panel appearing in Fig. 2; then across the back of such right hand panel in and through the next lowest aperture in the same vertical row of such panel; then horizontally back to the left upright panel and through the adjacent aperture in the same horizontal row of the left upright panel through which the string S Was originally threaded.

This Weaving is continued through the adjacent apertures in the same horizontal row of the left hand panel apertures in the same vertical row of the right hand panel to produce the twisted design of string S indicated in Fig. 2. When the design of string S is completed, the needled end may be held adjacent the lower aperture after the needle is removed, by means of another paper clip 4, as indicated at T. In this con nection, the first paper clip holds the string adjacent the first aperture through which it was originally threaded. Insteadof clips, any other means may be employed for this purpose, or the string may be knotted with large knots that will not pass through the apertures. Because the string is elastic, it will maintain a stretched condition and not sag.

In a like manner, string S is woven through the same vertical row of apertures in the right hand upright panel as string S, and through a row of apertures in base panel 8' extending perpendicular to the left upright panel in Fig. 2. Then, string S is woven in the manner described through the same apertures in base panel B as string S and through the same apertures in the left upright panel as string S.

Fig. 4 illustrates another typical design wherein the weaving is through a diagonal row D of apertures in each of the panels set up in the position of Fig. 2. String S is woven through the adjacent apertures in the diagonals of each of the upright panels. String S is woven through the same apertures in the right upright panel as string S and through the diagonal row of apertures in base panel B, while string S is woven in the same diagonal row of apertures in the base panel as string S and through the same diagonal row of apertures in the left upright panel as string S.

It will be noted with respect to the designs of Figs. 2 and 4, that each piece of string is woven in apertures of two adjacent panels. By selecting the groups of apertures in each of the panels through which the string may be woven, varied effects can be obtained as previously related. In this connection, a three dimensional design may be made with even one piece of string, or with two or more than three pieces.

If the person making the string sculpture does not desire a permanent design, the pieces of string may be readily unfastened by removing the paper clips and unthreading them, and the panels may be readily detached to thus enable the assembly to be stored away until the next time it is desired to use the same. However, if the user desires to make a permanent sculpture, he may secure the panel's together adhesively, and apply any additional decorative effects to the panels he desires after the and through the adjacent string sculpture has been made. In this connection, adhesive need not be employed because the elasticity of the string will hold the panels together. For added decorative effects, instead of being colored with ordinary dyes, the string can be colored with well known fluorescent dyes which will create a bright glow.

I claim:

1. A string sculpture assembly, comprising three wall panels secured together at substantially right angles to each other along two adjacent edges of each panel to form only one trihedron, each of said panels having substantially equi-spaced rows of substantially equi-spaced apertures, and means forming a design in said trihedron comprising string detachably connected between a pair of said panels and woven through a plurality of predetermined apertures in one of such pair of panels to thus form a design embodying a plurality of sections of such string extending between such pair of panels.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which said string is of elastic material.

3. A string sculpture assembly, comprising three wall panels secured together at substantially right angles to each other along two adjacent edges of each panel to form only one trihedron, each of said panels having substantially equi-spaced rows of substantially equi-spaced apertures, and means forming a design in said trihedron comprising a plurality of separate pieces of string, one piece of string being detachably connected between the panels of a pair of said panels and woven through a plurality of predetermined apertures in one panel of such pair of'panels, and another piece of string being similarly woven between the panels of another pair of such panels to form a design embodying a plurality of sections of such string extending between the panels of each of said pairs of panels.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which said separate pieces of string are of different colors.

5. The assembly of claim 3 in which said separate pieces of string are of different colors and are of elastic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,810,421 Guyer June 16, 1931 1,912,380 McCully June 6, 1933 2,168,634 Spencer Aug. 8, 1939 2,312,175 Korotzer Feb. 23, 1943 2,573,946 Armstead Nov. 6, 1951 

